Message revealing apparatus



' P. R. FOGHT, JR

MESSAGE REVEALING APPARATUS March 7, 1967 Filed June 29, 1964 lmin.

United States Patent 3,307,849 MESSAGE REVEALING APPARATUS Paul R. Foght, Jr., Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Clark Publishing Company, Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 29, 1964, Ser. No. 378,494 7 Claims. (Cl. 273-161) This invention relates to a psychic appliance or game apparatus for revealing mediumistic messages, and it is one object of this invention to provide such an apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mediurnistic message apparatus which employs novel means for sequentially identifying and distinguishing the portions of the message.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved mediumistic message apparatus that employs novel lighting characteristics in the disclosure of messages.

Other objects will be seen and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In accordance with this invention, the mediumistic message-revealing apparatus comprises a stationary first member or table which has a horizontally disposed panel element providing a substantially planar top surface. Disposed inwardly toward the center of this panel element is an aperture or portion of restricted size which is substantially more transmissive of visible light than the surrounding portions of the panel.

A light source is positioned below the panel element so that visible light rays from this light source may pass upwardly through the light-transmissive interiorly disposed panel aperture.

A second member or planchette is movable over the planar top surface of the first member panel element. This planchette has light-transmissive properties and it is provided with indicia whereby when it is positioned over the light-transmissive interi-orly disposed aperture of the first member panel element, an indicia-bearing portion of the planchette will be visibly and distinguishably illuminated.

With reference to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention showing the planchette positioned to one side of the central light-transmissive portion of the table;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, but showing the planchette positioned over the light-transmissive portion of the table; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing the manner in which the indicia on the planchette may be visibly and distinguishably illuminated.

With further reference to the drawing, the mediumistic message-revealing apparatus comprises a stationary first member or table 12 and a relatively movable second member or planchette 14. The table 12 has a top panel 16 and four side panels 17, 18, 19 and 20, which are attached to the top panel 16 and extend downwardly therefrom to form a hollow rectangular base for the top panel 16. It is preferred that the top panel 16 as well as the side panels 17 through 20 be made of an opaque material such as wood, although, if desired for a particular luminous effect, these panels may be made of a slightly translucent material.

The top panel 16 is provided with a light-transmissive aperture 22, preferably at its center, and this aperture may be in the form of a simple open hole of restricted size, although it is preferred that the aperture be in the form of a light-transmissive lens disposed within a central hole 24 in the panel. It will be apparent, however,

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that there are various ways in which the central portion of the panel may be rendered more transmissive of visible light than the surrounding portions of the panel without actually boring a hole in the panel or inserting a separate lens. For example, the entire top panel 16 may be constructed of a transparent material which is coated to render all but the central portion thereof, corresponding to the aperture 22, substantially opaque or at least less transmissive of light. Thus, as used herein, the term aperture is not intended to be restricted to a hole but is intended to define a restricted area in the panel 16 which is more transmissive of light than the surrounding portions of the panel.

Mounted below the panel 16 within the area of the hollow base, as defined by the downwardly extending side panels 17 through 20, is a light source 26. This light source is preferably mounted directly below the aperture 22 so that light from the source may pass upwardly through this aperture, although, if desired, the light source may be positioned remote from the aperture and the light directed into the aperture by suitable means. The light source is preferably a standard ll5125 volt, 7 watt electric bulb with the usual socket, cord and plug for connection into an electrical outlet. For convenience purposes, a suitable switch 28 may be provided in the line to the light source.

The planchette 14 may appear in a number ofshapes and forms although it is preferred that this member be a substantially fiat plate or disk as illustrated with the peripheral contour being a matter of choice. This planchette is formed of a translucent material or otherwise rendered partially transmissive of visible light rays, and it is provided with suitable indicia 30, such as numerals, letters, and words, as may be desired. If the planchette itself is formed of a translucent material, the indicia 3t] may, for example, be opaque or translucent, although ii translucent, the indicia should have light-transmissive properties which are distinguishably different from the light-transmissive properties of the remainder of the planchette. Another possible alternative is to render the numerals on the planchette transparent or at least more readily transmissive of the light rays than the remaining portions of the planchette. In any event the light-transmissive properties of the planchette 14 and its indicia 3i? should be such that, when the planchette is moved tc a position over the light-transmissive lens 24 of the table 12, a discrete portion of the planchette will be visibly and distinguishably illuminated in a manner to readil3 reveal the indicia carried thereby.

In operation, the member 12 is placed upon a flat surface such as a table top. The cord of the light source it plugged into an electric outlet and the light source 26 is energized by turning on the switch 28. Visible light ray: from the light source will thus be directed upwardly through the lens 24. The planchette 14 is placed upor the flat, horizontal surface of the top panel 16 of the member 12, and to reveal the message, the operator or operators move the planchette about the surface of the to; panel 16 until the planchette comes to rest over the len: 24 and a discrete indicia-bearing portion of the planchettc has been illuminated, thereby revealing the first letter number or word of the message.

It may be seen that a novel psychic appliance or gamt apparatus has been provided which utilizes, in a nove manner, the light-transmissive and illuminative qualitie: of the members of the apparatus in order to visibly iden tify and distinguish by illumination the various portion: of the message being revealed.

Although the present invention has been described witl some particularity, it is understood that the foregoing em bodiments are illustrated and described only by way 01 example and that this invention is not to be limited there as various modifications may be made without departg from its true spirit and scope as claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is: 1. An amusement device for revealing mediumistic essages comprising in combination a stationary first ember including a horizontally disposed panel element tving a substantially planar top surface and having an teriorly disposed portion of restricted size that is subantially more transmissive of visible light than the surunding portions of said panel element, a light source vsitioned below said panel element whereby light from id source may pass upwardly through the interiorly dis- )sed light-transmissive portion of said panel element, and second member freely movable at random over the top rface of said panel element, said second member having ght-transmissive properties and having a plurality of disete indicia thereon, whereby when said second member positioned over the light-transmissive interiorly disposed lrtion of said first member panel element an indiciaaring portion of said second member will be visibly uminated and thereby distinguished from the other in- :ia-bearing portions of said second member to reveal least a portion of the message being sought. 2. An amusement device for revealing mediumistic mesges comprising in combination, a first member includa horizontally disposed panel element having a subtntially planar top surface and provided with an aperre through which visible light may pass from one side said panel element to the other, a light source posilned below said panel element whereby light from said urce may pass upwardly through the aperture in said nel element, and a second member freely movable at adorn over the top surface of said panel, said second :mber being light-transmissive and having a plurality of discrete indicia thereon, the relative sizes of said aperture in said panel element and of each indicia on said second member being such that only one of said indicia may be fully illuminated at a time by the light passing through said aperture, whereby when said second member is moved to and stopped in a position over said aperture an indicia-bearing portion thereof may be visibly illuminated and thereby distinguished from the other indicia-bearing portions of said second member to reveal at least a portion of the message being sought.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said aperture is disposed centrally of said panel element.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the indicia on said second member are .less transmissive of visible light than the surrounding portions of said second member.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said second member is a thin substantially flat translucent disk.

6. The structure of claim 2 wherein the indicia of the second member are more transmissive of visible light than the surrounding portions of said second member.

7. The structure of claim 2 wherein said second member is translucent.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,677 8/1932 Fuld 273-161 2,216,061 9/1940 Weinreich 273-148 2,233,134 2/1941 Kessler 273-142 2,894,748 7/1959 Curtis 273-448 3,045,364 7/ 1962 Surber.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Examiner. 

1. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR REVEALING MEDIUMISTIC MESSAGES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A STATIONARY FIRST MEMBER INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PANEL ELEMENT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR TOP SURFACE AND HAVING AN INTERIORLY DISPOSED PORTION OF RESTRICTED SIZE THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE TRANSMISSIVE OF VISIBLE LIGHT THAN THE SURROUNDING PORTIONS OF SAID PANEL ELEMENT, A LIGHT SOURCE POSITIONED BELOW SAID PANEL ELEMENT WHEREBY LIGHT FROM SAID SOURCE MAY PASS UPWARDLY THROUGH THE INTERIORLY DISPOSED LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE PORTION OF SAID PANEL ELEMENT, AND A SECOND MEMBER FREELY MOVABLE AT RANDOM OVER THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID PANEL ELEMENT, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE PROPERTIES AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE INDICIA THEREON, WHEREBY WHEN SAID SECOND MEMBER IS POSITIONED OVER THE LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE INTERIORLY DISPOSED PORTION OF SAID FIRST MEMBER PANEL ELEMENT AN INDICIABEARING PORTION OF SAID SECOND MEMBER WILL BE VISIBLY ILLUMINATED AND THEREBY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE OTHER INDICIA-BEARING PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND MEMBER TO REVEAL AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MESSAGE BEING SOUGHT. 